The Tools Of Recovery (abridged)
Terri_Wickwire
Posts: 149 Member
We use tools—a plan of eating, sponsorship, meetings, the telephone, writing, literature, action
plan, anonymity and service—to help us achieve and maintain abstinence and recover from our
disease. Many of us have found we cannot abstain from compulsive eating unless we use some
or all of OA’s nine tools of recovery to help us practice the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.
A Plan of Eating
A plan of eating helps us abstain from compulsive eating. (See the pamphlet Dignity of Choice.)
This tool helps us deal with the physical aspects of our disease and achieve physical recovery.
Sponsorship
We ask a sponsor to help us through our program of recovery on all three levels: physical,
emotional and spiritual. Find a sponsor who has what you want and ask that person how he or
she is achieving it.
Meetings
Meetings give us an opportunity to identify our common problem, confirm our common solution
through the Twelve Steps and share the gifts we receive through this program. In addition to
face-to-face meetings, OA offers telephone and online meetings.
Telephone
Many members call, text or email their sponsors and other OA members daily. Telephone or
electronic contact also provides an immediate outlet for those hard-to-handle highs and lows we
may experience.
Writing
Putting our thoughts and feelings down on paper helps us to better understand our actions and
reactions in a way that is often not revealed to us by simply thinking or talking about them.
Literature
We read OA-approved books, pamphlets and Lifeline magazine. Reading literature daily
reinforces how to live the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.
Action Plan
An action plan is the process of identifying and implementing attainable actions that are
necessary to support our individual abstinence. Just like our plan of eating, it may vary widely
among members and may need to be adjusted to bring structure, balance and manageability into
our lives.
Anonymity
Anonymity guarantees we will place principles before personalities and assures us that only we
have the right to make our membership known within our community. Anonymity at the level of
press, radio, films, television and other public media of communication means that we never
allow our faces or last names to be used once we identify ourselves as OA members.
Within the Fellowship, anonymity means that whatever we share with another OA member will
be held in respect and confidence. What we hear at meetings should remain there.
Service
Any form of service that helps reach a fellow sufferer adds to the quality of our own recovery.
Members can give service by getting to meetings, putting away chairs, putting out literature and
talking to newcomers. Beyond the group level, a member can serve as intergroup representative,
committee chair, region representative or Conference delegate.
As OA’s responsibility pledge states: “Always to extend the hand and heart of OA to all who
share my compulsion; for this, I am responsible.”
See the full Tools of Recovery pamphlet for more information.
:flowerforyou:
plan, anonymity and service—to help us achieve and maintain abstinence and recover from our
disease. Many of us have found we cannot abstain from compulsive eating unless we use some
or all of OA’s nine tools of recovery to help us practice the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.
A Plan of Eating
A plan of eating helps us abstain from compulsive eating. (See the pamphlet Dignity of Choice.)
This tool helps us deal with the physical aspects of our disease and achieve physical recovery.
Sponsorship
We ask a sponsor to help us through our program of recovery on all three levels: physical,
emotional and spiritual. Find a sponsor who has what you want and ask that person how he or
she is achieving it.
Meetings
Meetings give us an opportunity to identify our common problem, confirm our common solution
through the Twelve Steps and share the gifts we receive through this program. In addition to
face-to-face meetings, OA offers telephone and online meetings.
Telephone
Many members call, text or email their sponsors and other OA members daily. Telephone or
electronic contact also provides an immediate outlet for those hard-to-handle highs and lows we
may experience.
Writing
Putting our thoughts and feelings down on paper helps us to better understand our actions and
reactions in a way that is often not revealed to us by simply thinking or talking about them.
Literature
We read OA-approved books, pamphlets and Lifeline magazine. Reading literature daily
reinforces how to live the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.
Action Plan
An action plan is the process of identifying and implementing attainable actions that are
necessary to support our individual abstinence. Just like our plan of eating, it may vary widely
among members and may need to be adjusted to bring structure, balance and manageability into
our lives.
Anonymity
Anonymity guarantees we will place principles before personalities and assures us that only we
have the right to make our membership known within our community. Anonymity at the level of
press, radio, films, television and other public media of communication means that we never
allow our faces or last names to be used once we identify ourselves as OA members.
Within the Fellowship, anonymity means that whatever we share with another OA member will
be held in respect and confidence. What we hear at meetings should remain there.
Service
Any form of service that helps reach a fellow sufferer adds to the quality of our own recovery.
Members can give service by getting to meetings, putting away chairs, putting out literature and
talking to newcomers. Beyond the group level, a member can serve as intergroup representative,
committee chair, region representative or Conference delegate.
As OA’s responsibility pledge states: “Always to extend the hand and heart of OA to all who
share my compulsion; for this, I am responsible.”
See the full Tools of Recovery pamphlet for more information.
:flowerforyou:
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Replies
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Using the Tools of Recovery is key to maintaining sanity -- which (to me) ultimately means freedom from compulsive overeating.
This is a new brochure that wasn't available when I was in OA the first time around and I think it is a fabulous reminder of all the opportunities I have to stop my insanity.
It came to me after my meeting today that posting the Tools might remind me to STOP and pick up a Tool before I take that first compulsive bite. Please feel free to pick a Tool and share on how it helps you to refrain from compulsively overeating.
:flowerforyou:0 -
Phone Calls:
Yesterday I had a really challenged day for a lot of reasons, and wanted to stay at the restaurant and have lunch -- but then I heard HP tell me to go home, make a choice you'll feel good about. So, I did. I went home (5 minutes away from where I was) and as I was making my food I made a call. And another. And another. And another. And on the 5th call, someone answered. Cool part was that while we were talking, I got a call back from one of those four calls where no one answered. When I was first in the program, phone calls were a huge part of my recovery. Talking the tools, the steps, the strategies for getting through insanity -- huge for me. I'm also finding MFP is a great way to stay connected. I love our group growing, that we have accountability by the fact that we're connected all the way around (you can view my food diary and know what I've had).
I am so grateful I humbled myself to come back to OA.
:flowerforyou:0 -
PTM, thank you so much for reminding us of the tools!! Although it's posted smack-dab on the wall at my meeting, I usually just walk by without giving it a second look. I'm grateful that you're here sharing the messages of OA :flowerforyou:
It's nice to hear that you got through your challenges yesterday. Usually when I call my sponsor her phone is busy (she only uses a land-line), so this reminds me to reach out a bit more in the community.0 -
:flowerforyou: 
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